James Patterson’s Maximum Ride to be manga series

SF Scope – Yen Press, Hachette’s graphic novel imprint, will be publishing manga versions of James Patterson‘s young adult science fictional thriller series Maximum Ride. The 30-page manga installments will appear in Yen Press’s new monthly manga anthology, Yen Plus (which will debut next summer as a 460-page, $8.99 volume available in book stores, comic shops, and by subscription. The Maximum Ride manga will be a feature in the debut issue.

The Angel Experiment, the first book in the series, was published by Little, Brown in 2005. The series focuses on 14-year-old Maximum Ride and her “flock”—a band of kids who have escaped the lab where they were bred as 98% human and 2% bird (wings being a key component) and developed a variety of other-worldly talents.

Kurt Hassler, co-publishing director of Yen Press, said of the acquisition, “We are thrilled that James has chosen to bring this dynamic property to the rapidly growing medium of manga.”

Patterson replied “I am completely over the moon that Max’s story will be told in manga editions.”

Sunday reading: Post mortal syndrome

Cosmos Magazine – Can science find a way to defeat death? Will it offer humans the gift of potentially endless, healthy life – and if so, at what cost? Will people spared the curse of ageing, and even of mortality itself, become inhuman – or more human than ever? And who or what will control this perilous boon? Government or corporations? ‘Faith-based’ caregivers? Organised crime? Or individual choice?

Post Mortal Syndrome is an exciting blend of thriller and science fiction, with a poignant love story at its heart.

Post Mortal Syndrome began publication on 16 April 2007, and was published every weekday, five days a week, in tasty, bite-sized chunks that could be enjoyed in a few minutes. The serialisation ended on 2 July 2007, but you can still enjoy Australia’s first online serialisation of a novel by reading each stimulating chapter at your own pace here.

Damien Broderick is one of Australia’s most respected science fiction writers and author of K-machines, winner of the 2007 Aurealis award for best science fiction novel. Barbara Lamar is a Texan lawyer and permaculture farmer, with a degree in mathematics. The two married in Melbourne in 2002, and currently live in San Antonio, USA.

Read the novel here.